Country: Italy

Region: Veneto

Grapes: Merlot

Vintage: 2018

ABV: 14.5%

Bottle size: 75cl

Viticulture: Biodynamic

Winemaking: Fermented on skins for a month and aged in large old casks for eighteen months it is all plums, earth, herbs and brine. 

Vegan?: Yes

Forget what you thought about Merlot - L'Arietta is shockingly light and airy, just like the Venetian winds that inspired the wine itself. Juicy, tannic, and wild, it perfectly typifies the winery and their drive to challenge expectations. Its savoury nature screams for some wild mushrooms or a nice piece of meat on the grill.

About the producer: Marco Buratti is one of the most anarchic, idiosyncratic and just downright figures in the world of natural wine. Having lived many lives across the world as a winemaking student, restaurant manager and chef, he returned to his native Colli Euganei hills in Veneto to start making the wines he loved to drink, and he absolutely succeeded. He now farms with biodynamic care about 2,5 hectares in a land rich with volcanic soils and a centuries old winemaking heritage, working with traditional and at times rare grapes such as Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Moscato Rosa, Tocai Italico and Malvasia. His wines are like him, at times gruff, always sincere, often crazy but always and forever unforgettable. Always wild fermentations, no fining or filtration and no hint of added SO2.